Masonic Awards Celebrate Positive Student Behavior

Masonic Awards Celebrate Positive Student Behavior, Public Education

Posted on 04/16/2019

What does public education mean to you? In the Chula Vista Elementary School District, it means developing good citizens and well-rounded youth in addition to high academic achievers. To that end, teams of representatives from the Masonic organization fanned out across our District to present the 2019 Masonic Awards for student citizenship. The awards were part of Public Schools Month activities in our District in collaboration with Chula Vista Masonic Lodge #626. The lodge was founded in 1925, and by the following year started the tradition of honoring CVESD students. At more than 90 years strong, it is the longest-running partnership in the District.

Masons started some of the first public schools in America and advocated for legislation to help make education accessible to everyone. Since 1920, Public Schools Month has been sponsored and promoted every April by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of California. The purpose of Public Schools Month is to encourage communities and schools to set aside some time during April to honor public schools and enlist the community’s continued support for public education.

“The Masonic Awards, while celebrating good citizenship, also remind us of one of our nation’s greatest strengths: public education,” said Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. “The awards are also aligned with our District focus to ensure equitable learning experiences for all children that support their academic and social emotional wellness. Our schools devote time to focus on nurturing and encouraging positive behaviors and positive interactions with peers. The Masonic Awards help reinforce what we are teaching in the classroom about self-regulating their behavior, common courtesies, service to others and engaging in civil discourse.”